How private text to speech works
Text to speech turns written words into spoken audio. A cloud speech service sends text to a server to do that work. Narraloud runs its voice models on your device, so it can read a document without sending that document to a narration service.
The same applies to PDFs, EPUB books, pasted text, and scanned pages. You can follow the highlighted words on screen as you listen. There is no Narraloud account to create.
Read personal documents aloud
Hearing your own writing is a good way to catch a repeated phrase, a missing word, or a sentence that takes too long to get to the point. Import a draft, choose a voice, and listen through it at your own pace.
You can also listen to a letter, a set of notes, or a PDF you need to read carefully. The app keeps your library and listening progress on the device, so you can return to the passage later.
For printed material, scan the page in Narraloud. The app recognizes the text and reads it aloud on your device. The scan is not uploaded for narration.
What stays private, and what gets sent
Your document text is not uploaded for speech generation. That is separate from the information used to operate the app.
- App usage and crashes: Narraloud collects usage information and crash reports. Usage records contain no document text or titles.
- Web imports: Ordinary web articles are fetched from their publishers by your device and never pass through us. The one exception is full-length X posts with Plus, where Narraloud's service receives the post ID and fetches the post from X's API.
- Feedback: You can choose to attach a document when sending feedback. Only attach content you want the support team to read.
- Purchases: Apple handles payment for Plus. Subscription services process information about whether your subscription is active.
The privacy policy explains the service providers, retention periods, and how to request deletion of collected information.
Private narration also works offline
Once your document and voice are on the device, you can listen without a connection. Download anything you need from the web or cloud storage before going offline.
The offline listening guide covers what to prepare and what still needs internet access.
Common questions
Do I need an account to use Narraloud?
No. You can import a document and start listening without creating a Narraloud account or signing in.
Does private narration mean the app collects no data?
Your documents stay on your device and are never uploaded for narration. There is no account, no advertising identifier, and no tracking across other apps. The app keeps anonymous usage counts and crash reports, and Apple handles purchases. The privacy policy lists all of it in plain language.
Can I read a whole book aloud for free?
Yes, the whole thing. The standard voices read every book, article, and PDF for free, with no credits and nothing to top up. Narraloud Plus adds background listening, so the book keeps reading with the screen locked, plus other reading tools.
